Pages

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Hope update

Just back from the doctor's. Hope's temperature just before we left for the doctor was 39.8 - that's high. I gave her some Tylenol and we hit the road (she was crying a lot but the car soothed her as usual). By the time we hit the doctor's office, her temp was down to 38.5 but she was still feeling very hot to the touch and she was crying a lot. As much as it pains me to see that, I was glad that Jodie, our doctor, was able to see the symptoms and not just have me explain them.

Jodie checked her all out and still no ear infection, no chest problems, no strep throat. Next step is to take a urine sample to check for a bladder infection. If you think this sounds difficult, you're right. I have to stick some sort of bag gizmo over her vulva and hope that I trap the pee and it doesn't just leak everywhere. Then I have to (somehow) manage to get the pee bag into a bottle. Should be fun!

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Wow, sounds dreadful. When I took Gwen to the doctor after her ear/bladder infections, I was told that typically they use a catheter to collect the urine (at CHEO anyway). My doctor just gave me a prescription for the stronger antibiotic -- but I hear they are reluctant to give that one out since it is quite potent and could promote drug resistance.

Yeah... the kicker with the pedy ("peedie") bag is that it's REALLY hard to get a "clean catch" urine anyways, so if there's bacteria, it's probably b/c it was sitting there on her bottom/vulva and snuck in with her pee. Generally sick kids in Toronto used a little catheter too )c; Poor Hope!-Erika

Hmm... that's not so promising. And I was all excited that I managed to get a sample with my first try with the bag. Does that mean that it is unlikely to show accurate results? So, if there is bacteria found it doesn't necessarily mean that she has an infection?

That's about the long and the short of it. Generally urinary tract infections (in everybody, not just kiddos) are caused by bacteria that live in the lower gastrointestinal tract. We like to joke in plastics that wound cultures are stupid because we can culture poop bacteria by swabbing anyone below the waist... a joke, but it's also true )c; In some people these bacteria just manage to find a way to creep up into the urinary tract and they like it there too. Adults can complain that it hurts to pee, but kiddies aren't usually so specific.

I guess it depends where you go on what action they'll take with a positive bag sample. It's also not just bacteria they look for -- also white cells, and leukocyte esterase and such. But I know at Sick Kids we always jumped to the chase and catheterized the kids. In Michigan they always just tried antibiotics... I don't know how much of it is based on where you're located.

One good thing is that if the bag sample does NOT grow bacteria, then we know it's something else and haven't traumatized Hope any more than needbe.